Recent Posts
George VI
George VI was not prepared to be a King. His older brother had had all the training and preparation, however when he abdicated it was down to George VI to step up. He was shy and had a stammer which made public speaking very difficult. He was actually called Albert and was known as Bertie to his family but after the abdication he thought that being a King George would show stability. It also honoured…
George IV
George IV was acting as King long before he was crowned While his father George III suffered from mental health issues. In 1811 he took the oaths to be Regent (acting King) but was not King until 1920 when his father died. He did not have a good marriage and his wife Caroline was not allowed into Westminster Hall for the coronation, apparently, she was banging on the locked doors trying to get in. She…
Edward VII
It was thought that Edward VII would be crowned on the 26th June 1902 however after an appendix removal on the 24th this had to be delayed until the 9th of August. Edward VII had a very close relationship with France, spoke perfect French and spent a lot of time there before his coronation. In 1904 he signed the ‘Entente Cordiale’ which was to put an end to the intermittent conflict of almost 1,000 years…
Henry VII and the start of the Tudors
Henry VII or Henry Tudor did not have a strong line to the throne but after defeating Richard III, and marrying Elizabeth of York his reign started a 117 year period of Tudors. He was the last English Monarch to win the crown in battle but due to him being careful and clever he created a strong and secure country. He was a Lancaster but by marrying Elizabeth of York he ended a 30 year…
Henry V
Henry V was a great warrior. He was fighting in his teens and even had an arrow go into his skull. The surgeon had to make a special tool to take the tip of the arrow out and be very careful Henry V did not get an infection. Henry V was left with a bad scar but we don’t know what it looked like as there are no paintings of that side of his face….
George II
George II was the last British Monarch to be born abroad. He did not have a good relationship with his father (who had locked up his mum in Germany when he was 11)
George I
George I was German and before the Act of Settlement which prevented Catholics being monarchs he was only 58th in line to the throne. He was though the first protestant in line so despite never having been to England, being quite old and not speaking English he became the King. He didn’t spend much time in England and had to speak French or Latin as no one in England spoke German. He kept his wife…
Edward V still missing!
The ‘Boys in the Tower’ are still one of the great mysteries of the Monarchy. Was Edward V and his brother murdered or did they escape to live a peaceful life
Elizabeth I
Good Queen Bess had seen great religious upheaval before she took the throne, with the country swinging between Catholicism and Protestantism constantly. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, had Protestant leanings so whilst English Protestants rejoiced when she came to power, many Catholics returned to exile on the other side of the English channel. However, she is remembered for finding a balance that moved the country to the new religion without the typical violence occurring. Many believe…
